South Africa Streamed Over 8.5 Billion Minutes of R&B in 2025

South Africa‘s appetite for R&B just reached a staggering new milestone. Spotify’s latest data reveals just how massive the genre has become in the country. AfrobeatsGlobal breaks down the numbers behind South African R&B streaming in 2025 and the artists driving it.

According to the streaming platform, South African listeners spent more than eight and a half billion minutes streaming R&B throughout the year. Younger audiences made up the largest share of that listening base. Users aged eighteen to twenty-four accounted for over forty percent of the genre’s audience alone.

The Artists Leading South Africa’s R&B Streaming 2025

Tyla topped the list as the country’s most streamed local R&B artist on Spotify. She was followed closely by Sondae, Lloyiso, Elaine, and Jordan G Welch. Across the entire African continent, Tyla also claimed the top spot for most streamed R&B artist overall.

She was joined on that continental list by Tems, Ayra Starr, Omah Lay, and Fireboy DML. Meanwhile, the most streamed R&B songs across Africa included “Venus,” “Baby (Is It A Crime),” “Arike,” “Lost,” and “Gimme Dat.” These numbers show just how connected South Africa’s listening habits are to the wider continental scene.

 

Live Music Demand Mirrors The Streaming Boom

This streaming surge has coincided with strong demand for live R&B performances across South Africa this year. Johannesburg recently hosted another edition of Once Upon A Time In Joburg, headlined by American singer SiR. Reflecting on the show, SiR praised the energy from South African audiences directly. “The people are always showing love, and I definitely had a great time,” he said.

SiR also highlighted South African artist Manana as one of his standout musical discoveries during the visit. “Having experienced him, man, I’m a fan already,” he said, adding that even his own mother was already a fan. This kind of cross-generational connection reflects how deeply R&B has embedded itself locally.

Within South Africa specifically, streaming was highest in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Pretoria, Durban, and Gqeberha. Across the continent overall, the biggest R&B markets included Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, Ghana, and Zambia. Spotify’s curated playlists, including Ginja, Cocoa Butter, and Afro R&B, continue supporting genre discovery for listeners. Therefore, both algorithmic playlists and live events are fueling this ongoing growth together.

This data confirms R&B’s staying power in South Africa, driven by both homegrown and international talent. The genre shows no signs of slowing down as younger listeners continue driving consumption upward. Consequently, expect South Africa to remain one of the continent’s most important R&B markets going forward.

What’s your favorite R&B track from this year? Drop your thoughts in the comments below. Share this post with every Afrobeats fan you know. Follow AfrobeatsGlobal for daily updates on the music you love. Check out our previous blog post on First Lady Urges Burna Boy, Davido, and Asake to Give Back.

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